Soldier: The Guardians of Time, #3

By Vivienne Lee Fraser

Lee would never have believed Hampshire, England could look like this; a barren, over-grown deserted shadow. Then again, what did he expect a post-apocalyptic world to look like?

With nothing to do until Christmas, want to be soldier Lee decides to travel to the future with a shape-shifting time guardian and an eco-warrior to prevent the end of time. Joining a troop of soldiers hunting down a dissident, Lee overcomes his initial fears of the strange world he finds himself in, and begins to believe they may actually be able to prevent time from ending.

Then he finds out the person they are tracking is a reincarnation of his friend Alain, he begins to wonder if they are actually on the right side of the fight. Lee now faces a dilemma; should he be a good soldier and follow orders, or should he put his friend first?

Captured and imprisoned far from home, Lee must decide whether his desire to follow orders is more important than his need to do right by his friend—even if it means risking the future of humankind.

As Southern England teeters on the brink of war, will Lee choose to save his friend or the world?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vivienne Lee Fraser
• Release date: Sep 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9780648886044

Vivienne Lee Fraser

After many years as a closet writer my family circumstances allowed me to follow my dream of actually writing books and seeing them through to publication. I write stories I enjoy and that I think my family can identify with. I love reading Fantasy Books because you can immerse yourself in a world with no preconceptions. I love writing fantasy stories for the same reason. I live in Sydney with my husband, son, our dog Trouble and an over-active kitten called Lola. We get to travel a lot because our family lives around the world. To fund my writing I sell children's books online and at local markets. You can always find me at The Bookbubble. When I am not writing I love reading, walking the dog, craft activities and good movies. One day I am sure I will grow up, but hopefully not too soon. And when I do I would like to be exactly what I am now, and what I have always dreamed I would be, a writer.

Book preview

Dedication:

I wrote this book for Stan. He has appeared along with my dad in all the Time Guardian Books, but this one really is for him.

It is also for Sandy (and not just because she always checks my work for me) and Margot. They are the only two people who read my first ever book, and they may enjoy the elements that made it into this story.

Prologue - Guardian City to the Right of History

Beta entered the room using a door out of respect for the inhabitants. Time Wreckers—oops, World Fixers—didn’t lose their corporeal body when they ascended out of time, so just popping into the room would be rude. Alpha, however, had no such qualms. He appeared beside Beta.

‘What are they doing?’ Alpha whispered.

Beta moved a little further into the room before he spoke. ‘I don’t know. Why don’t we ask them?’ He raised his voice a little before he added, ‘Good Morning, Gerald, Cynthia. Welcome to Guardian City.’

The man and the woman seated at the conference table both raised their heads almost as one. Beta noted that they might not have given up their bodies, but they had used their magical powers to smooth away any signs of ageing.

For the benefit of their guests, he had taken on the form of the man he was when he joined the Time Guardians. Their guests would see a middle-aged man with a full beard and sparkling blue eyes. He tried to hide his slightly rounded figure with loose chinos and a polo shirt. Alpha, forever the showman, had ascended when he was well into his eighties, but today he was a slim, dapper twenty-year-old dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

Cynthia flicked her auburn hair aside, revealing cat-green eyes, and she smiled. Gerald, who would not have been out of place at a sixties poetry reading, ignored them and lower ed his head back to whatever they were studying, his floppy black fringe hiding his pale thin face.

‘Thank you for having us here. This is an... unusual situation, but I am sure we can work on this little project together for a short time without too much stress,’ Cynthia said.

Her smile warmed what was left of Beta’s heart and he responded with, ‘I hope your accommodation is suitable, and I will show you our other amenities a little later. I am just waiting for coffee and tea to arrive, then we shall begin.’

While Beta played the part of the host, Alpha took a seat across from Gerald and glared at the World Fixer, emanating dislike from every pore.

‘What are you doing?’ Alpha demanded.

Beta bristled at his colleague’s tone, but it didn’t seem to bother Gerald, who responded by ignoring the question.

As Beta took a seat at a right angle to Alpha, carefully avoiding a seating arrangement that might appear confrontational, Cynthia began speaking.

‘Gerald is doing what we all do every day, trying to stop the end of time.’

‘How, specifically?’ Beta asked.

‘By studying events leading up to the last world war, trying to identify for the millionth time if we could change anything to prevent the utter devastation that followed,’ Cynthia responded.

Alpha grunted his displeasure, but Beta spoke before the other being was able to say anything too insulting. ‘We can’t help with anything along those lines as it goes against our philosophy.’

Cynthia nodded as if this was no more than she expected. ‘We understand, but the point is moot since we didn’t find anything that would help. We thought a review might start us thinking of ways to support our operatives on the ground. Have you managed to make contact yet?’

‘We spoke with Theta yesterday their time when she managed to slip out of the underground city for a while. Their cover is all set, and it seems they will be taking part in the search for the boy causing the blip in the time map,’ Beta said before waving at a screen, which flickered a little before showing their timeline monitoring room. About thirty operatives sat around a screen watching coloured lines.

‘What are they searching for?’ Cynthia asked.

‘A red blip.’ Beta answered. ‘When something deviates from history, a red blip appears and we send someone to investigate. If further action is required, we send down a team.’

‘BETA!’ Alpha’s voice rumbled. He had stopped glaring at Gerald for long enough to listen to what was being said.

‘It is not like I’ve given away any secrets, Alpha,’ Beta said, attempting to hide his exasperation. ‘Cynthia already knows we monitor history and the timeline, just as they do. I haven’t revealed how the system was built, or how it actually identifies deviations.’

Alpha frowned, and Beta knew he was ready to begin a full-blown battle in front of their guests. He had not wanted the World Fixers anywhere near their home in the first place, and he was not even mollified by the fact a Guardian team was at this very moment working at their base.

Not for the first time Beta wondered whether Alpha had been at this game for too long and had lost his perspective. After all, they were all working towards the same goal here. Perhaps it was time for Alpha to retire. That was not a problem for the present though.

Beta turned to Cynthia. Hoping to change the subject, he asked, ‘Have you made contact with your chief operative?’

She shook her head. ‘He contacted us before entering the city, but nothing since then. I hope he managed to make it to the rendezvous point. At least Isolde and Sigma were travelling together. And... ah... who is this other person with them?’

Beta shrugged, not sure how to answer. He had argued against the boy being sent along, but he had been overruled. ‘You mean Lee. We’ve been watching him for many lifetimes. Under normal circumstances we would not send someone like him on such a perilous mission. However, our analysts ran multiple scenarios, and it seems our best chances of saving history and time occur when he is included in the team.’

‘Why is that?’ Cynthia leaned forward and placed her chin on her hand.

Again, Beta was not sure what to say or, more to the point, what he should say. ‘There is a team of future Time Guardians who appear together in many historical periods, and we think... well, we’re guessing... that his friends might be close by... and that they can—’

Gerald glanced up from the tablet he had been intently studying, and asked, ‘Can do what? Save the world?’ The contempt in his voice set Beta’s teeth on edge.

‘Help with whatever needs to be done when we find out what that is.’ Alpha almost snarled his answer.

‘Gerald, did you find anything?’ Cynthia asked, perhaps to divert her partner’s attention.

‘No, I just reached the beginning of the war, and I can’t find anyone or anything that might influence a change. I told you it would be a waste of time.’ Gerald did not even lift his gaze from the screen as he answered.

Ignoring her colleague’s rudeness, Cynthia swung around on her chair. ‘Our system runs through history and identifies points where we might be able to intervene to alter small events to save the world from what happened.’

Alpha ignored Cynthia, but Beta was interested in this insight into how their oldest foes operated.

‘Gerald has been running through time to see if he can identify anything, but clearly he was not able to. Perhaps you’d like to watch the rest with us.’

She nodded at Gerald and he scowled back.

‘It might help us all to revisit what happened,’ she insisted.

‘Fine.’ His fingers tapped on the tablet, and in the next moment an image flashed on the main screen. He tapped once and the image began moving as the distinctive plume of a bomb mushrooming up came into focus.

‘Television footage of the New York bomb,’ Cynthia explained, although she didn’t need to, as Beta had lived through the war itself.

He still remembered watching in horror as the event was played live on the news. The commentators likened it to when planes crashed into the Twin Towers in the early twenty-first century. In hindsight this image was much more sinister; it was this bomb that had tumbled the house of cards. Its effects rippled out around the rest of the world, ending civilisations on many continents.

Beta watched as the screen flicked through more news coverage of people retreating from major cities. Many were caught by foreign missiles directed at motorways, and still more were caught in the streets as bombs fell. There were more nuclear attacks, mostly directed towards Asia and America. So many it would take years for the fallout to clear from the atmosphere.

The screen went blank. At this point most technology stopped working and news stories stopped being transmitted. Magic all but disappeared, so time travel to the era was not possible. Although the strongest Guardians had tried, they simply couldn’t open the portal on the other side. Even now they didn’t know if enough local magical energy could be harnessed for their agents’ return.

‘History shows that even before the bombs began falling, many people in the United Kingdom retreated to underground towns. In more rural areas many realised what was coming and set themselves up to ride out the storm,’ Cynthia said.

‘Yes, we modelled the scenarios too. In addition to the people in the underground city of Portsdown, there are likely survivors dotted around the area we sent our team into.’ Beta was pleased to finally be working with someone who shared his excitement about the opportunities this mission provided.

‘Mm, even so, we have no idea what our operatives are likely to find in twenty-second century Hampshire.’ Cynthia drummed her fingers on the table, as if trying to decide what to do next. ‘Well, there’s not much we can do here today. I suggest we all get some rest and meet back here tomorrow.’

Alpha blanched as the World Fixer effectively dismissed them, and Gerald smirked at his reaction.

‘I’m happy with that. We weren’t getting anything done anyway,’ Gerald said as he packed up his things.

‘I’ll call someone to show you to your quarters,’ Beta responded smoothly, a little disappointed Cynthia had ended the meeting so abruptly. Was Alpha right, had they only come here because they believed they could learn something to their advantage from the Time Guardians? He mentally shook his head. No, he would not fall into that trap.

‘That would be lovely,’ Cynthia said as Alpha blinked out of the room without a by-your-leave.

‘I will send someone in,’ Beta said as he left by more traditional means.

Chapter One - When Am I?

Lee stepped into the void. Izzy followed, pushed him in the small of the back, and he stumbled forward on uncertain feet. Not only was it dark, but the air around him was wet and clammy. No, it was heavier than clammy—it was like what he imagined walking through mercury would feel like. He quickly pushed that thought from his mind as claustrophobia began to press on him.

Moments later the tension under his foot changed and he pushed himself forward, relieved to finally be able to gulp down some fresh air. Stumbling forward, he was only prevented from tumbling down the slope by Izzy grabbing hold of his shirt.

Leaning over, hands on knees, he took in lungfuls of fresh air until his body was reassured its supply was not going to be cut off again. Eventually he stood and surveyed his surroundings while he waited for his heart rate to return to normal.

The first thing that hit him was the eerie silence. Few places he had ever visited were this silent. Even in the Australian bush there were always sounds: animals moving, water flowing, or leaves moving in the breeze. Here there was nothing.

In the pre-dawn darkness, he could just make out the sun beginning to peek over the horizon as the moon still shimmered on the water. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out deserted buildings on the edge of a lake, or was it the ocean?

‘Where are we?’ he asked.

‘Quick, inside. It’s not safe out here.’

He glanced around. ‘Where’s Trouble?’

‘I said inside. Come on.’ Once again Izzy pushed him in the small of his back, urging him towards a cave entrance to their left. ‘I’ll tell you everything once we’re safe.’

He hoisted his backpack more firmly onto his shoulder and did as Izzy asked, if only to avoid another sharp dig in his back. When he agreed to join her and Trouble on a journey to the future, he hadn’t thought to ask where and when they were going. Now he was regretting that.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave, he thought he caught sight of a faint glimmer of light ahead.

‘That way?’ he asked.

‘I guess so,’ she said, and his stomach knotted as he heard a note of uncertainty in her voice.

Where was Trouble? He would feel a little less nervous if the Time Guardian was with them. He looked around for a cute spoodle, Trouble’s current form. He found nothing, not even a place where Trouble might be hiding.

The sound of voices drifted out, and Izzy put a restraining hand on his arm, pulling him back a little. He followed her gaze downwards. An enormous German Shepard stared up at him.

Turning back to Izzy, she placed a finger to her lips, urging him to be silent.

Let’s find out what’s going on before we announce our presence, she spoke into his mind.

Yes, we don’t want to upset any plans by blundering in, another voice added.

Trouble? Lee asked. He had only just got his mind around the fact the curly haired spoodle was a Time Guardian, and it still threw him off when the dog spoke. Where are you? His eyes dropped to the dog at his feet. Look, if you’re worried about the big dog, Izzy and I will protect you.

The dog snorted and raised his head to stare at Lee, almost as if he too understood mindspeak.

I am the big dog. Trouble’s tone was amused as he made the declaration.

Time Guardian Sigma likes to take an animal form suited to the time and situation he is in. He obviously thinks this task requires him to change into this brute, Izzy explained as she bent down to ruffle the dog’s fur.

Lee felt like he had lost a friend. The animal in front of him did not project the same warm, reassuring presence as the cuddly spoodle.

I can’t be called Trouble while we're here. It doesn't suit my new body, the Time Guardian said, rolling over so Izzy could rub his tummy, his right back leg shuddering as she found the right spot.

How about Brutus? Izzy offered, not quite suppressing a grin.

The dog raised his eyebrows in disdain and turned pleading eyes to Lee, whose mind went blank. Not Brutus, that’s too... um, brutish. He frowned, thinking, then he remembered the large stuffed teddy bear he spent many an hour wrestling as a child—Big Bruno Bear. Just the right mix of scary to soft. How about Bruno?

Bruno.... Mmm.... The Time Guardian considered the name and the dog nodded once. Bruno he would be. Now we have dealt with the essential things, my colleague, Theta, is inside talking to someone. I don’t think they’re from the city, but I don’t recognise the voice.

Both Izzy and Lee listened for a moment.

‘I brought outdoor gear for your Sigma as well as for Isolde. Though if they don’t get here soon, there won’t be any time for them to change before the others arrive. I’ve no idea how we will explain their lack of military clothing when they do turn up.’

Lee would describe the male’s voice as posh English with an underlying whine. As the unidentified male spoke, Izzy’s lips curled in distaste.

That’s Jason. Her tone was bitter. My new minder, and one of the most incompetent fools I have ever had the displeasure to work with, she added.

Well, this is going to be fun, Lee thought as Theta’s voice drifted down the cave entrance. ‘As I told you earlier, Sigma won’t be needing a uniform. What are we going to do with it now? It will look odd having an extra set of clothes and travel gear.’

Before Jason could answer, Izzy took step forward as she said, ‘Actually, we have one extra with us, so that won’t be a problem.’

Lee and Bruno joined her, and the three of them walked into the cavern together: the lanky fair-haired boy with the huge dog beside him, and the diminutive dark-haired girl on the far side.

‘Isolde, nice of you to join us.’ The owner of the whiney voice sent Izzy a smarmy smile as he spoke.

He was just as Lee imagined. Built like a rugby player, he was good looking in the blond, weak-chinned English aristocratic style. If Lee had been a dog his hackles would have risen, as Jason oozed entitlement and condescension from every pore.

‘Won’t you introduce us to your friend.’ Jason’s tone suggested this was not a request.

‘The name is Izzy, and this is Lee and Bruno. Guys, this is Jason.’ Izzy forced the introductions through gritted teeth, not even trying to hide her distaste of Jason and the fact that he could order her about.

‘Lovely Isolde, and this is Theta, or Thea as she has been asked to be called on this mission. We are just waiting for the other Time Guardians to turn up. I have a uniform for you, don’t know what we’ll do about your one extra though.’

Izzy stiffened and Theta—Thea—sighed. ‘How many times must I tell you— ’ they both said together then stopped and glared at each other. It was as if some silent message passed between them, but Lee did not feel the tell-tale tingling of mindspeak.

Whatever happened between them, they both turned their backs on Jason, and Izzy held out her hand. ‘I’m Izzy,’

Thea shook the offered hand tentatively. ‘Thea. Do you two want to take your uniforms and packs and get changed? You can put your current clothes inside, along with anything else you want to take with you.’ She pointed at Lee’s backpack.

Lee held up the all-black uniform Isolde passed to him and frowned. How would he ever fit into that?

‘The fabric is self-adjusting. There are also boots in the pack,’ Thea told them. ‘And please hurry, as the Captain leading this expedition should be here any minute.’

Lee glanced down at Bruno. ‘Don’t worry, Lee. He and I are old friends. We’ll be fine together,’ Thea assured him.

‘He’s just a dog. He doesn’t need a babysitter,’ Jason said, attempting to regain control of the situation.

As you dress, I’ll bring you up to speed. Thea’s voice entered his head, causing Lee to misstep. I’ve managed to assign us to a troop on a special mission to find a citizen who’s headed out into the wasteland. The critical changes in time appear to be clustered around the boy, so our first task is to find him.

Should be piece of cake if you follow my lead, Jason added.

Or perhaps we should follow the Captain of this troop’s lead so we don’t stand out too much, Thea said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.

Best to assess the lay of the land, as you always taught me, Jason, Izzy added, attempting to smooth things between the two.

Right, yes, of course, Jason blustered.

Our team was supposed to consist of the Captain, a medic, two grunts, and a dog handler-tracker. I altered the records so that our names are assigned. The Captain, Kiandra, and Corporal Rodgers, our medic, are still to arrive, Thea said.

Who is doing what? Izzy asked before Lee was able.

Thea answered, Jason and I are enlisted soldiers. The Captain has met us in the city and sent us here to start preparations. Izzy, you were meant to be the tracker with dog handling skills, but I suggest you tell the Captain Lee and his dog have been assigned to you to train. Sigma, I’m assuming you are able to access all the dog’s... um... faculties?

Yes, Bruno said, his tone abrupt and business-like.

‘You mean Sigma is the dog?’ Jason gasped.

‘Bruno,’ they all said together.

‘So the dog is called Bruno, and who are each of you?’ A new voice entered the conversation.

AS the others greeted the Captain and her companion in the room next door, Lee undressed and picked up his suit. The texture was a cross between rubber and cotton, and rather unpleasant to touch. Holding it up, he shook his head. He was never going to be able to fit into it.

He opened the front zip and began pulling it over each of his legs in turn, and audibly gasped as the suit expanded, then contracted around his body. As it settled into shape, it formed what felt like a hard shell on the outside while still feeling soft on the inside.

After finishing the job, he pulled the zip up and did a few squats before twirling his arms. ‘Cool’, he said as the suit moved with him almost like a second skin.

‘Are you done yet, Lee?’ Izzy called.

Realising he was taking longer than expected, he squished his clothes and trainers into the bottom of his new backpack, moving the packs of freezedried rations to make room for them. Pulling some food bars and a book from his own bag, he added them to the load, making sure they were out of sight should anyone else look inside.

He hid his own bag behind a rock, then picked up his boots and the army backpack and walked barefoot back into the cavern. Everyone was crowded round an athletic woman whose height was accentuated by the mass of black braids wound around her head under her army issue cap. Beside her stood a rather stocky man with the stoic appearance of a career soldier found in armies the world over.

Dropping his bag to the ground, Lee watched the water bottle in the side pocket slip out. As he bent to tighten the strap, he heard a strange female voice say, ‘So this is the dog handler?’

Lee raised his eyes to find Captain Kiandra giving him the once over.

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Izzy said.

The woman raised an eyebrow, and Lee’s military training took over. Standing to attention he said, ‘Yes, sir.’

The woman smiled. ‘Better. I am Captain Kiandra, and I am in charge of this little foray into the outside. Although we will be a little less formal on this mission, I need you to appreciate that the chain of command still applies. That means when I say jump, you jump.’

Lee Yes, sired along with the others.

‘When I am not around, you will listen to Sergeant Thea, my second.’

Biting back as smile as he watched it dawn on Jason that he was just a foot soldier on this mission, Lee said, ‘Yes, Sir.’ again.

‘This gentleman, and I use that term loosely, is our medic, Corporal Rodgers. He may not look like much, but let me assure you, if we’re forced into a fight you’ll be pleased he’s with us. There’s very little he can’t patch up on the run.’

The grim-faced man’s expression did not alter as the Captain spoke, and Lee sneaked a few glances at him, trying to get the measure of the man. He gave very little away.

‘Right, make sure your packs contain all the necessary personal items. Everything else we need is there.’ She nodded towards the crate on a trolley beside her. ‘Corporal Rodgers, if you would make sure they’re all kitted out while I contact base and tell them we’re heading out.’

Lee joined the team, noticing Izzy had managed to make it into her black uniform and her boots. As they gathered around the crate, the change in lighting highlighted purple piping on the seams of Thea’s suit. The Captain’s piping was silver, and the Corporal’s red. The military was so predictable; rank must always be shown in some form or other.

Dropping to the floor as the others received their gear, Lee hauled on the boots from his pack. Unfortunately, there was nothing remotely boot-like about them. The thick, rough terrain soles had strange ridges down the side, and were almost shoe-like. The top, though, was similar to a thick cotton sock.

As he put his foot inside, he frowned. The fabric stretched, but the sole was going to be too short by at least the length of his toes. He wriggled his toes, and found he was right, they hung over the edge. To his amazement, the boot sole flexed by itself and adjusted to his size before the top section hardened around his foot and ankle. His eyes widened as he stared at the second boot, which now looked nothing like the one on his foot.

A soft wet nose touched his face, then Bruno sat beside him. A while ago the military found it was easier to produce clothing that adjusted to fit the person rather than producing different sizes. The suit is a special weave that can expand or contract as required, and will keep you warm in the cold and cool in the sun. The boots have some sort of nano technology built in allowing them to adjust as needed.

Lee found it hard to say anything. So this is how Alain felt coming to our time?

A few weeks ago, Bruno had introduced him to Alain, a time traveller from medieval Britain who had joined him to solve a mystery in the New Forest in 2017. He and Alain become firm friends when Lee took it upon himself to help the other boy adjust to life in modern times. In fact, it was Alain who suggest he read the book he now carried in his pack.

I would imagine so, Bruno said.

Lee put on his other boot and stood.

Could you please make sure you bring some